1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method, system and apparatus for authentication using an application, more particularly, for using an integrated ID by acquiring a reliable relationship between a plurality of applications installed in a single terminal, or for performing the authentication of other applications by sharing authentication information through a representative application among the plurality of applications.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the growth of mobile communication networks and related technologies, a great variety of services based on wired/wireless communication networks are now being offered. However, since user identification (ID) systems are distributed and managed separately according to respective services, this causes several problems such as customer's inconvenience, difficulties of information security, difficulties with the observance of related regulations, the hindrance to the introduction of a new service, the obstruction to an interconnection between services, and the like. Thus, there arises a need to integrate user IDs of various services, and an integrated authentication system (tentatively named) for managing a single integrated ID is now being developed.
In the construction of this integrated authentication system, the integration of user IDs should consider flexibility capable of accepting various membership policies (qualification for membership, the range of membership, a verification method of a member, etc.) of services, stability in management, sustainability of services, scalability, and the like.
Particularly, in order to integrate authentication in many web services or applications and thereby to allow the use of such services or applications by only one authentication, an integrated authentication server is separately constructed to perform the authentication of different services or applications, or authentication information of a certain application or service is delivered to other service or authentication server through SSO (Single Sign-On) technique so that a user may not need to log in again. Related technologies may be classified into types of using cookie, session, authentication token, ticket, and the like, depending on delivery methods of authentication information. Also, depending on targets to be integrated, such technologies may be classified into a single authentication between web services, a single authentication between applications, a single authentication between a network access and a service, and the like.
However, respective individual applications installed in a single device can merely recognize their existence in the same device, and have difficulty in acquiring a reliable relationship due to incapability of connections therebetween.
Meanwhile, for use of contents in a normal application, authentication may require only the access to an internet site that provides such an application. However, a certain site often requires a new member registration procedure to create a unique ID for the execution of an application and, only in case of access using that ID, allows the use of contents offered by the application.
Therefore, a user who desires to use contents in many internet sites providing different applications should create and remember respective individual IDs and passwords for a great number of applications. Additionally, a user is required to repeatedly enter similar personal information whenever he or she desires to become a new member for certain sites. Further, in case there is a need to change personal information, a user has to join many sites or applications one by one so as to change personal information.